Critical Thinking Requires Research

Anecdotal evidence from your cousin’s son-in-law doesn’t cut it

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone who confuses their feelings for facts? People who insist that something is true or untrue based only on what they have experienced in their own lives?

It’s frustrating. Even more frustrating is when anecdotal evidence (it has to be true, my father-in-law read it online somewhere!) is used to draw a conclusion.

Critical thinking means making reasoned judgments that are logical and well-thought out. It is a way of thinking in which you don’t simply accept all arguments and conclusions you are exposed to but rather have an attitude involving questioning such arguments and conclusions. It requires wanting to see what evidence is involved to support a particular argument or conclusion. (DeLeece, 2016)

Very few people develop critical thinking skills. They are okay with accepting what they are told on the nightly news, or read in a meme on social media. No questions asked. No independent thought…